Sun Jiming had said such things to her. She would always keep this kindness in mind.
Just as she was thinking, the carriage suddenly stopped. Xie Fengran's train of thought was interrupted, and she frowned slightly. Liu Yi quickly lifted the curtain and poked her head out. "What's going on? Why did we stop all of a sudden?"
"I don't know why the road ahead is blocked. I'll go and check it out," the coachman replied.
"Okay, hurry up!"
The coachman deftly jumped off the carriage and ran forward. Liu Yi retracted her head and told Xie Fengran. There was nothing the mistress and maid could do but wait.
Thankfully, the coachman soon returned. Speaking through the curtain, he said, "Miss, up ahead, the carriage from the Prince's Mansion collided with the one from Prime Minister Zhang's family. Neither side is willing to give way, so it'll probably take a while to get through. Would you like to take a rest at the restaurant nearby?"
Xie Fengran lifted the curtain and looked outside. They had already entered the East City. Just one more street ahead and they would be back at the Marquis's Mansion.
The street was now jammed tight. There probably weren't any important figures around; otherwise, they would have shown up already.
Xie Fengran didn't want any trouble, but she also didn't want to be stuck here.
She put down the curtain and thought for a moment. The person who could clash with the daughter of Prime Minister Zhang definitely wasn't Wang Yahan. It must be a girl from the main branch of the Wang family.
At the banquet the other day, the Wang girls had been very low - key, while the daughter of the Zhang family had practically had her eyes glued to Qin Junxing.
That's right. Prime Minister Zhang held a high - ranking position, and the Zhang family had always been loyal to the emperor, staying out of the struggle for the throne. The Zhang family's daughter would never marry the crown prince, but Qin Junxing was a different story.
Xie Fengran curled the corner of her mouth and squinted her eyes. She waved at Liu Yi, signaling her to come closer.
Liu Yi, not knowing what was going on, leaned over. Xie Fengran whispered something to her. Liu Yi's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She nodded and patted her chest in assurance. "Miss, just watch me!"
Saying this, she lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared into the crowd.
About a quarter of an hour later, there was a stir in the crowd. The coachman's voice came over. "Miss, the road ahead is clear. Miss Liu Yi hasn't come back yet. Shall we go?"
"Go. Don't wait for her."
Upon receiving the order, the coachman didn't waste any time and drove the carriage forward.
On the street near the Marquis's Mansion, Liu Yi stopped the carriage and got in.
"Miss, you were right. As soon as the servants of the Zhang family heard someone in the crowd say that the County Prince was at Lingfeng Teahouse, their carriage quickly moved out of the way. It seems that the daughter of the Zhang family really has her eyes on the County Prince."
Xie Fengran tilted the corner of her mouth and taught Liu Yi, "The County Prince is like a delicious bone right now. Everyone wants a bite. You should avoid him in the future. Otherwise, it won't be good if you get hurt when others are fighting over the bone."
Liu Yi tightened her little face and nodded. "This servant will remember."
Xie Fengran burst out laughing. Although the daughter of the Zhang family was extremely beautiful, it was said that Prime Minister Zhang only had this one daughter and doted on her very much, allowing her to do as she pleased. If the County Prince was entangled by her, he would have a hard time.
When she returned to the Marquis's Mansion, Xie Fengran still had a smile on her face.
She led Liu Yi towards her courtyard. Her courtyard was on the south side of the Marquis's Mansion. It was quiet and elegant, and had been personally arranged by the old mistress Xie.
When Xie Fengran was a bit older, she named it "Listening to the Wind" herself.
However, just as the mistress and maid passed through the second gate and hadn't reached the Listening to the Wind Courtyard yet, they were stopped.
"Aunt He, why are you here?"
"Eldest Miss, please go and see the old mistress quickly!"
Xie Fengran's expression changed. She quickly asked, "What happened to Grandmother?"
"The old mistress fainted. Aunt Su sent someone to look for you. Knowing that you had gone out, she asked this servant to wait here. Please go and have a look quickly!"
"Why did Grandmother faint for no reason?"
A look of anxiety flashed across Xie Fengran's face. She quickened her steps towards the Green Pine Courtyard.
Aunt He trotted to catch up and explained, "This morning, the marquis brought the second miss to pay respects to the old mistress. The old mistress sent this servant out and only kept Aunt Su. This servant doesn't know what they talked about. Then the old mistress fainted."
Xie Fengran's face darkened. Without further explanation, it must be those mother - daughter duo causing trouble again, instigating Father to talk to Grandmother.
As she walked, she asked, "Who else knows that Grandmother fainted?"
"No one else knows." Aunt He glanced at Xie Fengran and tentatively asked, "Eldest Miss, should we go and invite the madam?"
"Not for now." Xie Fengran refused without hesitation.
She didn't want Grandmother to really get angry and have something happen to her. "Where are Father and Xie Yunxi?"
"The marquis sent someone to invite the imperial physician. The second miss is still in the old mistress's courtyard."
"Later, when we get there, keep an eye on Xie Yunxi and Concubine Yuan. Make sure she doesn't cause a ruckus."
"Yes, this servant will make arrangements right away." Aunt He looked fierce. Obviously, she had no good impression of this mother - daughter duo who came to the Green Pine Courtyard to cause trouble every now and then.
Xie Fengran stepped into the Green Pine Courtyard. After turning the screen wall, she saw Xie Yi sitting in the main hall. Xie Yunxi was standing behind Xie Yi with her head down.
"Father," Xie Fengran stepped forward to pay her respects.
When Xie Yi saw his eldest daughter, his eyes flickered. He even felt a bit guilty. He averted his gaze and pointed to the inner room. "You've come just in time. The imperial physician is diagnosing your grandmother. Go in and have a look."
Xie Fengran nodded. Her eyes swept over Xie Yunxi, then she turned and entered the room.
The imperial physician was taking the old mistress Xie's pulse. Xie Fengran stepped aside and carefully observed the old mistress's complexion.
It was a bit pale, but her breathing seemed okay. She let out a sigh of relief.
After the imperial physician finished the diagnosis, he said to Aunt Su, "The old mistress doesn't have any major problems. It's just that she was overwhelmed by anger and overworked. I'll prescribe a decoction to reduce the fire. After taking it for a few days, she'll be fine. She should pay attention to rest on weekdays. After all, she's getting on in years."
The old mistress Xie slightly raised her head and said weakly, "Thank you, imperial physician, for coming all this way for this old woman. You've gone to so much trouble. As one gets older, the body is getting worse day by day."
After saying this, she gave Aunt Su a look.
Aunt Su understood and stuffed a thick purse into the imperial physician's hand.
The imperial physician quickly waved his hand and declined. "The old mistress is right. People eat all kinds of food, so it's inevitable to have some minor ailments. Just rest well."
Aunt Su stuffed the purse into the imperial physician's hand without giving him a chance to refuse. "You've come all this way. Please don't decline."
Only then did the imperial physician accept it. He bowed slightly. "This is all my duty. The old mistress should rest well."
"Take your time, imperial physician."
"Please come with me to write the prescription," Aunt Su led the imperial physician out.
Xie Fengran quickly walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and held the old mistress's hand. "Grandmother, are you okay?"
When the old mistress saw Xie Fengran, her expression softened. She asked her to sit on the chair and said gently, "Grandmother is fine. Did you go out to see Miss Sun today?"